Rick's Death
by romeocitychicag
Summary: When Rick dies, Morty doesn't think he can handle it. How will he cope? And more importantly, how did Rick even die in the first place?
1. Chapter 1

Morty stared at the sleek black casket, still dumbfounded. He knew what happened. Why couldn't he face it? Just say it, he yelled at himself.

"Rick's dead." Morty said out loud, but softly enough so that no one else heard him. He felt his throat getting tight from held back tears he wouldn't dare let fall. He could already hear the mocking he would get from his grandfather in his head. As if he was still there.

Morty walked in a zombie like fashion from the backyard to the bathroom in the house. He passed by Jerry comforting a crying Beth, his sister, who just looked plain sad, and even people who came from other universes to mourn, meaning Squanchy and Unity in one of her hive minds' bodies.

Once he got to the bathroom, he turned on the silver faucet and felt the cold stream quickly turn warm under his hands, splashed the water in his face, flicked off the faucet, and looked at himself in the mirror.

Morty's tired reflection reminded him of the past few days.

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"Oh my God! Rick! Rick, wake up!" Morty shouted, shaking his grandfather in an attempt to revive him.

While he was shaking him, his hand slid down to Rick's torso, where Morty felt a warm liquid on his hand. He pulled it back to discover it soaked in scarlet blood.

Morty checked for a pulse, first on the neck, then on the wrist. Nothing on both.

The teen fumbled for his phone in his pocket to first call 911, then his parents.

Everything after that was a blur. The ride to the hospital, the death pronunciation, the memorial service, everything. Arranging the funeral was too painful, since next to no one else outside of family would probably show up, so Morty's parents decided to have a private memorial in the backyard.

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Morty snapped out of his daze. The tears threatening to fall earlier did, their salty streams cutting through his face. He put his head in his hands and softly sobbed. His only friend was gone.

After his cry, he adjusted his black tie and forged back outside.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** New chapter. Yay. I just want to know if Rick's in character. I'm really stressed about that. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Morty had a fitful sleep that night.

In his dream, him and Rick were going on a late night adventure, as usual.

"Isn't this nice?" Morty asked. "Just you and me, classic Rick and Morty."

"Yep, it is nice after a crazy year." Rick replied.

Morty saw a golden glow reflected off of the dome encasing the two in the ship. He turned his head to find the source, a sparkling arrow directing to a space drive in theater.

Rick seemed to have noticed it too. "Awww shit! These places are the best Morty! They always have fu-fucking crazy ass mOOvies!" He turned the ship in the direction in the drive in.

The movie was, as promised, really bizarre, probably because it was from a foreign planet in a foreign language. Luckily, the ship had a translator, so it was decipherable. Rick adjusted his seat into a reclining position and put his hands behind his head, laughing occasionally (the movie was a romantic comedy with two spies).

Morty soon got into it and leaned his head back. He looked at Rick, who was relaxed and having a good time. Morty liked his grandpa when he was that way, with no signs of any struggle in his life. Almost happy. It sent a warm feeling starting in his chest that spread through his whole body, making him feel relaxed too.

Soon after Morty closed his eyes, loud gunfire interrupted his tranquility. He would have assumed it was from the film if not for the sound of Rick getting out of the flying saucer and the click of ammunition being loaded into a gun.

"Stay here, Morty." Rick ordered. "I'm going in." Rick charged toward the now visible shooter.

The assailant was an alien Morty didn't know, but had a green, lanky body with hair the same green and pink highlights at the tips. It had light blue humanoid eyes with yellow arms and legs. And because Morty's face was glued to the window of the ship, he saw the shooter's gun was a classic AK-47. Or it at least looked like it.

"Outta my way, freak!" The shooter yelled. He had a male voice and a psychotic look in his eyes, suggesting he wasn't very mentally stable.

"Is that how you-you want to play it, you, furry testicle sack?" Rick retorted. "Then let's tango, bitch!"

A massive gunfight broke out between the two, but ultimately Rick won. Morty stepped out of the car to see the carnage.

"And that's, the way the news goes." Rick said, stuffing his gun in his lab coat. "Let's get outta here, Morty."

As the duo walked back to the car, the attacker shouted, "I'm not done with you yet!" Another gun shot was heard before the alien fell limp.

Morty continued his trek back, but noticed Rick wasn't next to him. He turned back to find him on his knees bleeding profusely from his chest.

"R-R-Rick! Oh my God!" Morty raced over to his grandpa and helped him up. "Don't worry, I'll fly us to a hospital where they can fix you up and-"

"It's no use, Morty," Rick interrupted. "The bullets, they're just capsules for a very potent venom. It can't be cured Morty."

"Wha-wha-wha-what are you saying, Rick?" Morty pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

"...I'm gonna die Morty." Rick finished. Pure terror struck Morty's heart at the sight of his now ghostly pale grandfather, already fading fast.

Rick's grandson still tried to hobble them both over to the ship. He didn't know where he was going to go, just anywhere but here.

After Morty strapped Rick and himself in, Rick started babbling. "I see a light. Turns out there is a god, Morty."

Morty gasped at the words, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he turned the ignition key.

"Morty, stop." A limp, ice cold hand met the top of his much warmer one, which was still trembling on the ignition key. "I told you, Morty, I-I'm done for."

"That's not true Rick!" Morty shouted. "You-you-you can't j-just give up like that!"

"We all die eventually," Rick explained. "Nothing matters, Morty. In the grand scheme of things," Rick sighed. "I'll just be another asshole who croaked."

Morty saw out of the corner of his eye a bright white light that was slowly closing in on the two.

Morty sprung out of his seat to hug and clutch to his dying grandpa. "I'm not ready to say goodbye!" Morty's voice dropped to a whisper. "You're my only friend..."

"Morty," Rick put his hand on Morty's head, and with great effort, starting stroking his hair and his back. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for all I put you through. Looking back, I forced you to go on these adventures, and risked your life because I'm so selfish." Rick's voice cracked at last word.

"No, I'm not mad," Morty consoled. "I liked going on those adventures. It was the only time I felt like I belonged."

"I want you to know something else."

"Yeah?" Morty saw his tears had stained Rick's lab coat.

Rick squinted at the ever growing light surrounding them, which just caused more tears to flow from his eyes. "I love you. And I want you to be better than me. Can you promise me that, Morty?"

Now Morty's whole body was shaking from his repressed sobs. "Of course. I'll promise anything for you."

The light consumed them both. Morty shouted a response, but didn't hear himself, or anything.

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"No!" Morty snapped awake. He felt the tightness of dried tears on his face. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and hoped no one else had heard him. He wasn't ready to deal with anyone else yet. "I didn't get to say I loved him..."


	3. Chapter 3

The table at breakfast was somber, the air heavy as if everyone was breathing gaseous lead in the air. Even though Beth knew no one would really have much of an appetite, she made a breakfast of eggs for everyone anyway.

"So," Jerry began, rapping his fingers on the table. "I heard that new episode of Ball Fondlers was pretty good."

"Knock it off Jerry," Beth said, poking her meal with her fork. "No one's in the mood for it."

Jerry took the chance to survey his family. His wife had her head in her hand, looking more tired than ever, Morty was absently staring at the spot Rick would usually sit in, probably wishing he was there, and Summer looking aloof.

It was a Saturday, and Beth was off of work, so no one had to go anywhere that day. So after breakfast, everyone retreated into their rooms to grieve in peace.

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Jerry slowly creaked open the door to Beth and his' bedroom and tiptoed in, holding a Cold Stone bag. "Hey honey, how are you holding up? I bought us ice cream."

"Oh, just fine Jerry," Beth hissed while laying on the bed. "Because ice cream will make my father dying all better."

"Hey, I'm just trying to cheer you up." Jerry countered.

"We'll guess what, you can't."

"Beth, calm down, please." Jerry raised his hands in submission.

Beth ran a hand through her blond hair and sighed.

Jerry was about to put the bag down and back out of the room, but he realized something. That asshole Rick dragged his kids around the cosmos putting them (and sometimes the whole world) in all kinds of danger. And Beth let it happen. She'd see how it was like to have her feelings ignored.

"Okay Beth, you can be pissy all you want, but I just have to say," His resolve wavered, so his next words came out reluctant. "Maybe it was for the better that your father died."

"Excuse me?" Beth retorted.

Jerry's argument gained strength again. "The man was a sociopath! All he did was make everyone's lives worse."

Beth hopped off of the bed to face her husband, enraged. "Don't say about my father, you insensitive asshole!" Without thinking, Beth slapped Jerry hard across the cheek, leaving a red mark.

She stepped back, horrified at her own actions. "Jerry, I-I..."

"Beth," Jerry squeaked, tears welling up in his eyes and holding his bruised cheek. "Why?"

"Because he left me again!" Beth brought her hands to meet her eyes and sobbed uncontrollably.

Jerry sat them both down on the edge of the bed. It all made sense to him now. A sledgehammer of guilt whacked Jerry across the face harder than Beth did at that realization. "Beth, I'm sorry for saying those things about Rick."

"I'm sorry for slapping you." Beth responded. "It's just..." She sniffled.

"I know." Beth's head was buried into Jerry's green polo shirt, both of their hands entwined.


	4. Chapter 4

Morty sat in the office chair in the garage Rick usually sat in when he was tinkering with something, eyes fixated on the workbench. He had a cardboard box filled with the gadgets and tech that normally lined the shelves in his arms.

He picked up the computer monitor that was on the workbench and placed it in the box. But he gave it a long look first. He remembered that it displayed how many timelines were present, that there "never needed to be more than one dot on the screen."

Morty also remembered the painful lecture on how little him and Summer meant to Rick. But then he thought about his dream. It was all too overwhelming, so he shook his head to clear the thoughts.

He packed up the rest of the things in the garage as quickly as possible, suddenly sickened at the sight of everything. "Where's his portal gun?" Morty said aloud.

He briefly looked, but eventually gave up the search. As he was about to walk back into the house, his foot hit something under the workbench, accidentally kicking it into view.

Morty placed the box on the ground next to him, knelt down and picked up the object. It was a small silver pistol barely bigger than Morty's hand. He popped the chamber. Nothing came out. But the most horrifying part was that it was stained with dried blood.

Morty suddenly dropped the gun and ran out of the garage as fast as possible.

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When Morty made it to the front of the house, he took a deep breath. He didn't think he'd ever be able to go back in there.

The teen decided to just go in the backyard and do...whatever.

Morty unlatched the gate to the backyard and walked in on a green portal. "What the hell?" He walked up to the portal, eventually going in.

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Morty stumbled into the universe with the mega trees. The memory of their first adventure brought tears to Morty's eyes, but he fought them back.

He saw in the distance a redhead with a pink top marching into the wilderness. "Summer?!"

"Morty?" Summer yelled back. "Is that you?"

"W-what are you doing here?" Morty asked.

Summer ran to where Morty was and faced him. "It's awesome that you're here! You've been here before with Grandpa Rick, right?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't-"

"Then you can help me find the seeds."

"Why d-do you need the seeds?"

"Duh, to bring Grandpa back to life."

Morty blinked, then sighed, completely changing his tone. "Summer, the mega seeds can't do that."

"Then you'll help me find something that will, right?" Summer anxiously said.

"Summer, nothing can bring Rick back."

"You're lying."

Morty sighed again. "Summer, I wish that was true every single day too. I miss Rick too. A lot. But he's gone. There's nothing we can do about it."

Summer turned away, hot tears streaking her face. "I don't believe you. You may have given up, but I still have hope!" She stormed off.

"Wait!" Morty shouted while he ran after her. "Summer, come back!"

He eventually caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me!" she cried.

"Rick killed himself!"

Summer's arm went limp. "What?" she whispered.

"It's true." Morty responded, much quieter now. "I-I saw the gun...it had blood on it..."

"Oh my God," Summer fell to her knees. "I just miss him so much, Morty."

"I know," Morty consoled, his hand on her back. "Why don't you just give me the portal gun?" he gently said.

Summer weakly held out the gun to her little brother, who accepted it and shot a portal in the air for the two to get home in.


	5. Chapter 5

"Listen," Summer began. "I'm sorry for doing that."

"Don't worry about it," Morty replied. "I get it."

As Morty was fumbling with the portal gun in his hands, he tripped over the box he left behind, falling flat on his chest. He grunted while getting up, also noticing something close to the discarded gun on the floor.

Morty reached for the device and picked it up. It was a pyramid shaped purple apparatus, but with no point on top. It had four red buttons on all four sides as well. Morty turned it over to find a sticky note with atrocious handwriting on it, most likely Rick's. It read "To the Smith Family".

Summer peered over Morty's shoulder to get a look at the device. "Should we tell Mom and Dad?"

"I-I think so." Morty stammered. "Mom, Dad, you might want to see this."

Shortly after calling them, Beth and Jerry showed up at the doorway to the garage. "What do we need to see?" Beth asked.

"This." Morty held out the pyramid machine to them. Jerry accepted the apparatus and inspected it. He almost dropped it when he pushed one of the red buttons on its sides and a projection flashed from the flattened top.

Morty took it back and placed it on the workbench. It was showing a video of some sort.

"Aw fuck, is this thing on?" Rick said in the video, adjusting the device. He grunted, backed away from it, and continued. "If you're watching this, it means that I kicked the can.

Morty and his family watched in curiosity as Rick searched his lab coat for his silver flask and took a long draft from it. "Now, I don't know what your overly sensitive brains think of that, and frankly I don't care. But I'm gonna tell you my thoughts, on each and every one of you."

"Jerry, you're an idiot and you should be ashamed of ever placing your unemployed genes anywhere near my daughter. But she married you, so I guess you're not all that bad," Rick took another swig from his flask. "Don't pull a muscle patting yourself on the back, by the way."

Jerry didn't have a visible reaction to his father-in-law's words. "Next, my daughter. Beth, even though you're half of this fuck up, you made something of your life." Rick screwed his eyes shut for a few seconds. "That's admirable. But horse surgeon? Really?"

"Summer, you'll turn out okay. You're a good person. Annoying, but, okay."

Rick paused. "Now, I want only Morty to hear what I have to say next, got it?"

Morty gave the rest of his family a look that said to leave, so they did.

"I assume they're gone now, so listen close Morty, 'cause I'm only gonna say it once." Rick pulled out an office chair and sat in it, taking a last swig of his flask, not mindlessly like before, but in a genuine attempt to soften the pure misery on his face.

"Morty, I...," Rick's voice cracked. "I'm gonna kill myself. But I have something very important to tell you." He quickly wiped away the tears that were pooling in his eyes. Morty's eyes reflected the action.

"...You were the best thing that ever happened to me. The only true friend I ever had." Rick looked away. "I-I know I've been really hard on you, and you've threatened to quit on me more times than I can count, but you never did. I left you to get tortured, both psychologically and physically, and you even almost got raped, but you stayed strong. You stayed with me."

Morty sank down into the same office chair Rick was sitting in. He was trembling with unshed sobs.

Rick hiccuped before continuing. "I'm sorry, if that fixes anything. That's okay if you don't forgive me. I don't either. But you're a special kid Morty, with a special mind. You're gonna be brilliant someday."

Rick's voice grew shaky. "There's nothing left for me here. But you, Morty, you still have your whole life ahead of you. I shouldn't take that from you." Rick looked straight into the camera, a pure and genuine smile on his face. Not a sarcastic or a sadistic smile, but a warm smile, a loving smile. Morty focused on that smile. "I love you."

The device signaled it turned off by a clicking noise. Morty had his head down on the workbench in full sob mode. He managed to choke out the words "I love you too."


End file.
